The ban requires that no vehicle be parked on any city street or sidewalk between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., and is not limited to nights with snow in the forecast. Vehicles parked in city controlled parking lots must display a winter parking permit. Permits can be obtained free of charge, 24 hours a day, at the police department.

“Keeping vehicles off the roads during the winter months is critical to giving public works crews proper access,” Colarusso said.

Vehicles found in violation of the winter parking ban will be issued a $15 parking ticket. Vehicles interfering with snow removal may be towed.

The city will also enact an emergency parking ban for the downtown area, when needed, to facilitate snow removal. The emergency parking ban will be announced by 3 p.m. each evening and take effect at 1 a.m. the following morning. When the emergency parking ban is in effect, any car parked on a downtown street will be towed. Notification of the emergency parking ban will be conducted through local media, the City of Dover website, cable channel 22, Dover Download, as well as via an email notification system.

Restaurants, bars and other late night business are encouraged to sign up for the email notification by contacting the Parking Bureau at parking@dover.nh.gov or by calling 516-2277.

“Late-night workers leaving their cars along the road until the early morning hours has been a major problem for years,” Steele said. “Use of the emergency parking ban two winters ago when we had repeated heavy snowstorms really paid off.

On the nights of an emergency parking ban, employees of downtown businesses may park in any city controlled lot without obtaining a winter parking permit.

Streets included in the emergency parking ban area are: Chestnut Street; Main Street; Chapel Street; School Street; First Street; Second Street; Locust Street from Washington to Silver Street; Washington Street from Belknap to River Street; Central Avenue from Sixth Street to Silver Street; Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets (Central to Chestnut); Henry Law Avenue from Central Avenue to George Street; Broadway from Central Avenue to St. John Street; Hale Street; St. Thomas Street from Central to Locust Street; Locust Street from Hale Street to Washington Street.

A map is posted at www.dover.nh.gov/policepdf/DnTnSnowEmergencyMap.pdf.

For more information on the winter parking ban or the emergency parking ban can contact the Parking Bureau at 516-2277.